Nods news , A fixorage happened

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Up for a Turner Prize, Dave

Andy G

Hardly - its just bits of junk cobbled together
Looks OK fitted I think

[The Nun]

Just hope the DVLA don't look at all the little mods and count them as a big one and give us a Q plate

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Found some nice stuff meant for motorcycle screen edging .
Sticky on the inside and fairly flexible - it fitted my modded headlight bowls a treat.
Also available in chrome and blue - from Halfords of all places for £5 a meter although probably available cheaper online
Might be OK on door pocket edges as well but not tried it as yet

[ImpManiac]

Lovely work, as always, Dave.

IM

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

So ive been pratting about again.
Theres not much i like on modern cars but tother week i noticed my mates Jag had a footwell light that came on when you opened the door .
I can do that .
So I eventually found a small light that had its own separate earth tag ie. not one that earths to the mount .
Earth wire goes to the earth wire on the door switch , live came from my interior light fused supply - simples .
You open either door and it comes on and if you operate the interior light switch it also comes on .
Mounted behind my switch panel out of sight on a screw already there so no extra holes .
Took an hour or so to do .
Perfect

[The Nun]

The Evoque has lights in the bottom of the door, puddle lights, that shine a LR logo on the ground when the doors open, now how about one for the IMP with an IMP figure?

[617sqn]

Various focus able puddle lights on ebay. Doubt you'd get a retro logo'd one though. And while you're at it, add a red lamp facing rearward to the door to warn oncoming traffic.

Andy G

[617sqn]

Well yes. But the traffic is still "oncoming". It ain't bloomin leaving is it ?

Andy G

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Someone on farsebook suggested putting a footwell light on the passengers side as well .
Well cheers for putting daft ideas in my bonce
Wiring it was going to be real easy but quite where to put was another thing altogether .
It had to be out the way , light up the floor , not dazzle you when you opened the door and kind of blend in .
Anyway I doodled down some ideas and a few possible mounting locations and designed a cover to go over it .
Eventually i came up with this made from some junk i had lying about and the fortunate use of the works spot welder - Unfortunately im still waiting for the other red lights to come via the post so at the moment its got one green and one red which looks kind of sh!t .
Bulb change is dead easy on both and the lens colour change will take seconds once they are here.
The full effect of all red wont be seen until the other lights turn up .
Not even sure it will stay but it was fun to make anyway

[617sqn]

Looking fabulous, Dave. Red looks good, just avoid certain, erm, areas at night eh ?

Andy G

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Tother red lens arrived for the footwell lights

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

So when the Singers wiring loom caught fire I made a deliberate decision to keep the earths and live separate and not loom them altogether as Lucas did .
I also gave just about everything its own earth lead and also gave the dash two earth points .
This was connected via some crude crimp affair which whilst it worked fine just looked a bit crap .
Well today i made up some proper earth blocks from a block of copper with special double terminals fitted with copper rivets and soldered .
I only needed 4 on each point but doubled up just in case .
Much better and a lot neater as well

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Finally been for a drive in the old fart , did about 20 miles and its still running fine after a lengthy rest up - heaters really good and after a few strange noises out the brakes initially they feel good as well.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Seeing as Ive recently put some slightly richer needles in the Singer I thought it best to make up a tag so i remember whats in it in years to come
Also done a comparison chart comparing Stromberg 6K ( Std sport ) 6S ( 998 spec ) and the two SU ones I use - No. 7 and MME just in case its of any use to anyone .
Graham Dewhurst asked on farsebook so thought id plonk it on here before it gets lost forever

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Well i lost the lens on my engine bay light - seems to have fallen off whilst driving
So ive refitted the now maga rare and quite frankly stupidly over priced Imp one back in having had to remake the back plate as id binned the other one when i fitted the light with the now absent lens .
Still it works which is the main thing

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Took the Singer to Dorchester and back to look at an Imp for Roger Gill - some 40 miles in total .
The new MME needles have deffo made a difference to top end cruising and acceleration especially above 60 ( cant say 70 as thats illegal )
I suspect the MPG might of suffered slightly but im willing to overlook such trivia

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Not happy with the look of previous engine bay light which was the now uber expensive standard interior light ive custom made one from start to finish .
All built from junk , face plates a bit of dead imp , back part is a mains motor capacitor cover , a spare isolated lamp holder , this is all spot welded together.
Switch was from a mate , lens is ex sandwich box but microwaveable so will stand 100˚C , some 150˚C rated wire , a few crimps , grommets and a S/H bulb .
Rubber gasket is a bit of old car tyre inner tube .
Works well and looks better I think

[617sqn]

Nice one, Steptoe er sorry, I meant Dave

Nice bit of recycling going on there !

Andy G

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

All washed and ready for winter semi hibernation - i say semi because given the chance il be using it as often as possible

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Apart from fit an LED bulb in the home made engine bay light ive done nothing for two weeks and its not moved for a month .
Light works well though

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Started first time on Saturday , went around the block a few times to warm it up ,
End of update

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Red LEDs have arrived for my footwell lights.
Very chuffed with the result I must say

[617sqn]

My mate Dave looks scary enough in daylight !

Andy G

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Finally got my grubbies on some early wide paddled door handles for the Singer , my original ones were corroded so like a pillock i binned them over 20 years ago

[stainlessimp]

Hi just saw the photo of your door handle, where did you get the door bin chrome edge cover, many thanks.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Door edge cover is in fact a kick plate , available in the 60s as an accessory made by Cosmic , they were designed to protect the paint on the door pocket , better image here

[The Nun]

I would think that's why they might have been narrowed, they found some owners complaining under warranty for marked door cards? Although your hand wears on the vinyl anyway making it go shiny after lots of use whatever handle you have. I doubt we shall ever know for sure why it was done, cost saver or wear problem or so that in 50 years you can say I've got some wide ones

[John Simister]

I think they changed sometime in 1966. My Jan 66 Chamois had the old type, my July 66 Super Imp had the later type.

[The Nun]

There are 2 part numbers for the handle 7204034 superceded by 7205172 but it doesn't state when or which chassis numbers it changed at, so one assumes if you had an early car and ordered a new handle you got a later one even though it didn't match the other, so you weren't really supposed to notice it I gather?

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

There are 2 part numbers for the handle 7204034 superceded by 7205172 but it doesn't state when or which chassis numbers it changed at, so one assumes if you had an early car and ordered a new handle you got a later one even though it didn't match the other, so you weren't really supposed to notice it I gather?

Probably only us geeks that would notice anyway
My singer has window winders with chrome knobs , only seen a few sets of these , might not even be Imp but they look identical , they did change the black knob and there are early and late versions of these as well.
Anyone care to take a pic of the later black winders with the rivet in the middle , we would have all three on here then

[John Simister]

Ah yes (he says, donning his 1960s anorak), the early-type door handle goes with a window winder with a small, solid, black hand-grip, the later type of winder to go with the later handle has a larger, more reverse-conical grip with an open end through which you can see the chrome end of the 'axle'. Easier to grasp and perhaps stronger.

I've never seen all-chrome winders, though. Very posh.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Found a pic of the later winder for comparison

[The Nun]

Mine are the later ones, original to the Mark 2 I assume? Seems all the mods were on the early IMPS whilst they were trying to get it right?

[The Nun]

Mines Aug 66 so maybe a thing for what they called the 67 model year Aug 66 ish onwards?

Model years still start Sept still now rather than Jan to Jan as you would naturally think, it was I think to do with sales obviously, maybe you know John the reasons behind it more? when they moved the reg year from Jan to Aug which started Aug 67 didnt it? E regs were only available for 6 months so are the rarest?

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Its these little differences you pick up after owning Imps for so long , stuff like early door light switches are steel but later are alloy , the guide for the front headlight alignment disappears , the small bracket for the coil vanishes , the tags for the heater pipe on the rear inner arches also go.
Closing panels in the engine bay are deleted , Chamois dash panels become black instead of body coloured .The washer bottle moves location .
The list goes on and on

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Took this for a short run out yesterday - everything is as it should be and its running and driving perfectly

[The Nun]

And of course in the later 70's, there was the one under the Deluxe, which was considered to be the poverty spec by then, as the Basic with no heater, no blower, rubber floor matting, no sound insulation, Millboard door trims, and only a speedo and fuel gauge in a dash full of blanks. Sounds a joke now, but you saved something like 3 quid not having the heater, which here in the UK is essential unless youre an Eskimo.
That car was the last new British car you could buy for under 1000 pounds and they made a point of the fact hoping to sell more I expect.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

53 Years ago this very week our MK1 Chamois came off the production line at Linwood .
This must mean they actually did something there the week before Christmas apart from strike or drink tea ( other excuses are available ) .
Still happy birthday you old girl and long may you continue to keep on going .
This also means ive owned this car 30 years - way more than half my life
Some pics through the years

[The Nun]

Its actually got better and looks better as the years progress, which is the opposite normally with most cars.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

So another year has all but flown by. 13 pages added this year - the same as the previous two more or less .
This year the Singers just had small things improved or upgraded - the best being the washer bottle which moved location .
So this is the list done in 2017 .
Chrome seat frame finisher cobbled from a broken filing cabinet
New rad expansion bottle ( Triumph Stag again but one thats not knackered )
Yet another numberplate light ( im happy with this one )
Remodelled Alternator bracket ( Version 6.3 I think )
New front and rear bumpers ( i loves shiny newness )
Inner arch covers finally fitted ( Been a long time coming )
Full stainless gear linkage rod ( just because )
Mirrored sunvisor repair ( Annies happy now )
Washer bottle moved ( Im happy now )
New improved engine bay soundproofing frame . ( lots of lovely copper and rivets bashed together )
Dash switch panel improvements ( bits of dead socket box recycled )
Fuse box cover revamp
Footwell lights added
Engine bay light improvement
There was other stuff as well but thats the main bits , if you want to know all of it then read the thread.
Hope its been an interesting read for those still on here
Regards
Nodders

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

A few pics that tie in with the post above

[617sqn]

All noted. Nice work as usual, Dave. I'm sure there's more to come next year

Andy G

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Singers in a Calendar called cars of the Rootes group

[ImpManiac]

I'm up to date on your Readers' Cars threads now, Dave. Time well spent! Keep up the great work in 2018, won't you.

IM

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Well seeing as the Vuskys dead the only Imp fix I can get is via the Singer .
We did 49 miles today nearly all at 70MPH on the A303 to a garden centre near Wincanton .
Anyway shes running well if a little on the cool side ( 75˚C ) , I think a new stat might be in order .
Doing a plug colour check after such a blast seemed a good idea - seems OK and fairly even and given its running so well it can stay set like this - the Twin SUs seem to be working fine as usual

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

WOW
It seems this thread has had over 400,000 views now.
May I say thanks to all who have replied , read , commented or just looked at it over the last 9 years

[colimp66]

Lol/\
Surely you have multiple photos of it on your drive, at the fuel station or boxes that Imp stuff have been delivered in that you can show us until you start working on it again Dave????

Always informative and useful.
Cheers
Col.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Lol/\
Surely you have multiple photos of it on your drive, at the fuel station or boxes that Imp stuff have been delivered in that you can show us until you start working on it again Dave????

Always informative and useful.
Cheers
Col.

Just for you a random pic from last year

[Lars Hagermark]

^^^

[617sqn]

Yeeesss (zips mouth before he says something not very PC).

But your posts are informative, interesting, inspiring and relevant. Do you possess a water butt.....

Andy G